A bit of evolution, Torvalds style?

npetreley · #1 26th July 2002, 02:29 AM

I mentioned to a friend of mine that Linus Torvalds supposedly said something about evolution and parallelism. My friend's response was very amusing...

If Linus Torvalds believes the Neo-Darwinian Theory of Evolution, I have a challenge for him: insert random "point mutations" [in] future releases of Linux and see what happens.

It could be done at the source level, but it would be more interesting at the binary level (and ignore the possibility of recompiling for now). In each copy of the Linux executable released for the major distributions, randomly change, say, every 10,000th bit (so that the random changes are different for each copy).

According to the theory of evolution, some changes should improve the operating system, and hence it should increase the user demand for it. The users of that version should then proliferate copies of it for their friends, and eventually that version should become dominant.

blader · #2 26th July 2002, 05:20 AM

It would probably work too, if:

#1. All Linux users would be willing to reinstall Linux just to see evolution work.

#2. There's a great battle for survival where superior Linux distributions kill off the inferior ones. Which probably means that users would have to choose between tens of thousands of distributions, each with their own features, just to play npetreley's little game.

#3. The superior Linux distributions could mate and create offspring with mutations.

#4. The offspring repeats step #2.

Yes, it's funny how ridiculous assumptions gives ridiculous conclusions.

LiveFreeOrDie · #3 26th July 2002, 10:32 AM

Repeat after me: "Living things are not computer programs."

Morat · #4 26th July 2002, 04:30 PM

  Amusingly enough, I've used genetic algorithms myself. They work quite well.

Jerry Smith · #5 26th July 2002, 04:32 PM

I hear there is a genetic algorithm that can improvise a jazz solo now... Anyone have a link?

Morat · #6 26th July 2002, 04:49 PM

  I've not heard of one, but I have seen them used for everything from designing jet engines to supervising warehouse space for a whiskey manufacturer.

 

npetreley · #7 26th July 2002, 04:56 PM

You keep talking about computer programs that use so-called genetic algorithms to design OTHER things for which you have standards. What I'd love to see you do is literally introduce bit-flip mutations into your binaries and see how well they run.

Jerry Smith · #8 26th July 2002, 05:02 PM

Why? Are bit-flip mutations in any way analogous to any sort of mutation that occurs in nature?

Morat · #9 26th July 2002, 05:04 PM

  Nope. To mimic evolution the way Nick wants, you'd merely have to write programs were the fitness function is "they run" and "they reproduce".

   You get viruses that each your hard drive alive.

   Nick's objection to GA's is akin to claiming you can't discuss ice freezing in the Arctic using tests run on water in your freezer. It's an objection to any sort of experiment or model.

 

npetreley · #10 26th July 2002, 07:26 PM

Originally posted by Jerry Smith
Why? Are bit-flip mutations in any way analogous to any sort of mutation that occurs in nature?

Is using a genetic algorithm to design something specific analogous to evolution?